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Project Soylent Green: 2006 FIN:

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by modsquad, 19 Oct 2004.

  1. modsquad

    modsquad Grease Monkey Undergraduate..

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    Yes, it looks like nForce SLI is the way to go. The AC X850 will end up in the parts box..So I will need a pair of Aquagra FX7800 h20 blocks (which, as of today are not available in the US--read: Sharka). The "face" of the FX7800 (and the X850, for that matter) point down, so you will not really see much of that area. Although I do have plans for a mirrored bottom plate for the case, so I may just paint one of the two blocks..

    Changes, this is what happens then a project moves along slowly..Things change..For the best I hope..
     
  2. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    I think you'd end up FAR happier with that setup, not dissapointed in the slightest. Honestly, I'd do what myself and TN have done - order direct from Franz in Austria (btw, I finally updated the FF log: Aquaero!). I ended up paying 50E on shipping (insured, on a 280E subtotal), so about 18% of the total, with about a week or so from "Your order was shipped today" to doorstep. In honesty, not too bad, especially as I had a few custom parts and a decent amount that Sharka doesn't carry (my Aquabay CF that didn't include the display, a bunch of case badges, the 45* legris fittings, and I've finally got my lanyard as well).

    I've just got my voltage reg cooler installed... a must-have indeed. I don't know why, but the silver seems to look even better than the copper of most blocks (shame, mine's stuck hidden behind a rad!). Probably because the anodized silver does NOT tarnish, where the copper does very quickly.

    Changes do happen. But deciding on hardware in the last step is the best choice for long-term mods like this, that way you don't spend $1000 on a processor worth $300 by the time it's up-and-running. It means some compromises as far as waterblocks go, but having to buy a new waterblock is better than ending up with a GPU that's half the performance you could have. I've changed every waterblock in my loop at least once. I have an entire SLI-capable loop sitting in some boxes right now (a rad, three twinplexes, a cuplex pro, a csp-mag and quite a few sets of fittings and mounting screens, and a brand-new Aquatube). But I'm glad that I bought the better stuff, even if it does mean $250 in spare parts - I'll find a use for them.

    If you wanted to keep the x850 block, there's always the offchance it could fit onto the x1800's. I'm fairly sure the 6800LE block (for "vanilla" 6800 cards) fits the 7800GT and GTX cards, it just doesn't cool the power reg chips on the latter. I think the story could be the same for the ATi block. That's what I do honestly hate about the single-card blocks - cards refresh way too quickly for it to really be worth the money. But they're SO sweet :)
     
  3. modsquad

    modsquad Grease Monkey Undergraduate..

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    YES--Sir..
    All but ready to order a Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe..
    Which MB are U using Firehed?
    Our buddy Franklin has had (major) problems with his Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe..
    DEAD in the box, nothing..I trust Franklin's computer ability's (as well as Asus)..I know it's nothing he did..That leaves me to blame Asus, which is also hard to fathom..There where a number of post (on Franklins' thread) stating "ya-I had problems with the A8N-SLI (d) as well"..
    I must say this makes me wonder just what the "deal" is with all things nForce and SLI..
     
  4. sc4mpi

    sc4mpi OG watercooler

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    hum... i used to have a8n sli deluxe and worked fine was easly the most stable 939 mobo iv had (till the accident in v1000sli and it got leaked on), i now run a a8n sli premium,and bar it being fussy about four sticks of ram its rock solid. on the other hand when i got a sli-dr after the death of the a8n deluxe it was the most unstable thing ever. constant blue screens etc, the dfi xpert and rdx200 have both killed cpus due to bad bios problems(think thats solved now)

    on the part of franklin he hasnt assitained if its the mobo yet. cause he hasnt tested the cpu etc. overall iv herd the a8n32 sli deluxe to be a rock solid mobo. if you remove the heatpipe, just mount on, two twinplex, and 2 a8n mosfet coolers, and your sorted. :p
     
    Last edited: 13 Jan 2006
  5. Zds

    Zds What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah, mine too. After Asus got working BIOS for it it has never crashed. Even when I had trouble getting it post is was still rock solid when I got it to boot.
     
  6. customh

    customh conflagration.

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    A8N32-SLi Deluxe, most say its the most stable they have ever had. As for the gfx card coolers, i wish you could do innovatek because they do such cool stuff with theirs, but im sure an AC will be able to be modded.. anywho, why not do something like this only in green?
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    I've been using an A8N-SLI Deluxe as well. It worked superb from day one, and I ordered it the first day it was available (Christmas eve '04). I mangaed to kill the thing a few months later from a badly seated chipset block. Got it RMA'd, never had a problem with the replacement. From my understanding, it's still far more stable "easily" than the DFI boards.

    I haven't touched the BIOS since I found one that was dual-core ready... 1013 or something. The older ones weren't quite as good, but apparently I was fairly lucky going by what other people said. I'd imagine a good amount of the early problems were it just being "fresh silicon", and they had a transistor on backwards or something (out of tens of millions, seems like there's a decent chance).

    Anyways, you tend to only hear about the horror stories, not too many people to praise hardware. It happens, but it's fairly rare. And I haven't heard any issues about nForce4 boards recently that I can think of.
     
  8. Zds

    Zds What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah, mine is also from the first batch that was available in Finland, end of December 2004. And yes, I have not regretted getting this board - it's almost smells like robust piece of machinery.
     
  9. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    Hmm... can't say I've ever based my thoughts about motherboard quality on their scent, but I am glad I bought it. I do wish I waited a week though, the price dropped about $100 in that time period (I paid something like $265).
     
  10. customh

    customh conflagration.

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    Last edited: 14 Jan 2006
  11. modsquad

    modsquad Grease Monkey Undergraduate..

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    Yes, this case is not mine..I have all but a fee hand in the hardware and design of the project..All my projects move slowly..No way to avoid that..
    Thanks for the links CH..
     
    Last edited: 14 Jan 2006
  12. customh

    customh conflagration.

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    Last edited: 15 Jan 2006
  13. otispunkmeyer

    otispunkmeyer What's a Dremel?

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    good cards them XFX's

    i have 2 in SLI ... amazing.
     
  14. customh

    customh conflagration.

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    hell they look cool too, what better can ya get.. (except those BFG Tech 7800 GTX OC 512's, paint the backplate and get to know the people over at xfx real well and get four of those little green dvi plugs)
    EDIT: If you thought the ASUS' heatpipes were fugly check out the OTHER x16 board from MSI!!
    [​IMG]

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130037

    EDIT2: Was looking about at the cards on newegg and noticed.. some of the PCIe cards including the xfx we are talking about dont have a 6 pin plug, instead it uses another molex. If i were to go out and buy an SLi cert PSU id sure as h would want to use those plugs so my full vote now goes to the BFG Tech 7800 GTX 512 OC's.

    EDIT3: Have changed my tune once again and this time for good. The BFG tech is way overpriced for what it is. You can probably with a proper innovatek block get one of these two eVGA cards to those speeds overclocking. (Although 1750 mHz for mem clocks is up there.. the 590 clock speed is feasable though) So here are my two best offerings from looking on newegg. Thses look like the same card, but one has higher clock speeds which lead me to believe its an overclocked version of the cheaper one. Since they dont have the beefy cooling that the BFG has they cant get up to those speeds, but watercooling will be their saving grace.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130254

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130237

    I think thats all i have til you answer........... :lol:
     
    Last edited: 16 Jan 2006
  15. modsquad

    modsquad Grease Monkey Undergraduate..

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    Thanks to all the posters of CrossFire vs SLI..
    Thanks especially to CH, who went out of this way to provide helpful information.. :thumb:
    The deed is done, I just ordered a Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe a few monents ago from NewEgg.. A bit of "sticker-shock" with it's asking price of $245US..
    BUT, "you play-you pay"..
    CH asked about a PSU for this project..I am using the Hiper Type-R 580Watt.
    This unit has the PCIE connectors he spoke of, and is on the list of Nvidia certified (SLI) power supplies..
    I need the MB to "move forward" with this project. It's the road map for future mods..
    The video-cards are another story..I will hold-off as long as possible (the price should come down) as I would guess at more than a few months of work to be done before this is a "real" computer..
    BACK to the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe.
    H20 cooling the northbridge/southbridge/vot-reg. of this MB is not going to happen. The case is just too small. Aqua-Computer will cool the CPU-GPU's- RAM and HD.
    The Heat-pipe stuff will stay on the Asus MB, but not without modification.. :dremel:
    I have high-hopes to get some work done this weekend..
     
  16. customh

    customh conflagration.

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    Thank god on the A8N32-SLi Deluxe!!! :rock: But since you insist on going AC on the gfx blocks why not do a little modding like innovatech has done and put some acrylic in there... think it wil have adverse effects on the cooling? im not sure, so enlightenment is good.

    EDIT1: Modsquad: check this out http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?p=1156465&posted=1#post1156465 im really trying to sway ya for the performance of the innovatek here!! Nexxo even siad the innovatek was better!!!
     
    Last edited: 16 Jan 2006
  17. Top Nurse

    Top Nurse Minimodder

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    Seasons Greetings belatedly. :sigh:

    Did Wes get you all your toys you ordered from Santa?
     
    Last edited: 17 Jan 2006
  18. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    Best of luck with the copper-moddin' :) Just remember that if the heatpipe is staying in, you can't puncture it at all or it'll instantly become useless (they work by having a light vacuum so the liquid can boil at near room temp). I'm sure you could have squeezed in all the waterblocks if you tried, but it probably would have been major overkill...just make sure there's some decent airflow in those areas - voltage chips run super-hot as it is (often in the 80-90c area, sometimes hotter)
     
  19. sc4mpi

    sc4mpi OG watercooler

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    pffft.. theres easly enough room. :blah:
     
  20. modsquad

    modsquad Grease Monkey Undergraduate..

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    The Asus Heatpiped north/south/vot of the A8N32-SLI (D) may not end up H20 cooled, but rest assured it will not look (ulgy-copper) stock..
    I have a vision of black, chrome plate and green UV acrylic dancing-around in my head... :dremel: the Dremel will emerge soon..
     

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